


Rivers and Roads

by Curious_Archer



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Canon, Canon-Typical Violence, Curious Archer - Freeform, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Poisoned Heart Robin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-21
Updated: 2018-05-27
Packaged: 2019-05-09 18:22:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14721227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Curious_Archer/pseuds/Curious_Archer
Summary: Alice is reunited with her father earlier than expected, but at what cost? Robin will do whatever it takes to make Alice happy, but can she still ensure her own happiness?A story in which a decision Robin makes changes the course of her and Alice's lives.





	1. Missing

**Author's Note:**

> Please read authors note at end! It contains important info! And maybe a spoiler or two if you do your research! Also *Disclaimer* none of this belongs to me. I only had an idea about the character's that I wanted to write about. I did create the original characters though. All other characters belong to the Original creators of the tv show!

She races into the tent her father occupies and spins around in a panic.

“Papa? Papa?” She finally spots a boot sticking out from behind an old trunk that rests against the tent canopy. “Papa.”

She rushes to his side, struggling momentarily to push the trunk aside, careful not to touch her father. At the sound of the trunk toppling over, her father begins to stir. He gently lifts his right hand to his head, softly prodding the large bump on the back of it. He accidentally presses to hard and jolts upwards in pain.

“Where is she? Where- Alice?” he breathes as he notices her. Surprise covers his features as he looks at her and then in the next second all she can see is anguish. “Oh, Love.”

She stops him before he can continue.

“What did she do?” she whispers brokenly. “Papa, what did she do?”

Instead of answering, he steps forward and hugs her, causing her to throw herself backwards in panic.

“What are you doing? You coul-” she cuts herself off when she realizes that he’s not screaming in agony, he just looks at her with an expression of pure sadness.

“Oh Starfish. I’m so sorry.” At that Alice breaks. She collapses to her knees, stunned silence echoing through her mind, and stray tears slipping down her cheeks. She flinches when her Papa starts talking again. “She tricked me. She came running into camp, yelling for me. When I got to her she was hysterical. Said I had to help her and that you needed me. That you were in pain and the only person who could make it better was me.”

Alice started to shake when she heard those words. It felt like someone was crushing her heart with their bare hands and pushing all the air out of her lungs, preventing her from breathing. She didn’t want to hear anymore. Yet, even though she was shaking her head her Papa continued with his story.

“I rushed back here to grab my things, when I turned to leave she was there, swinging an empty bottle at my head. The only thing I remember after that is waking up in complete in utter agony. I saw my heart in her hand. I heard her scream and then everything was dark and silent. No more pain. Then I woke up and you were hovering over me. Alice, Love, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know that’s what she was going to do I swear it.”

She stills when he pulls her into his arms. After a few seconds the sobs begin to rip from her throat.

“It’s all my fault, Papa, it’s my fault.” She tightens her grip on his shirt. He strokes her hair and rubs her back.

“No, Love. It’s not your fault. The only one who is responsible is Robin. Not you,” he whispers gently to her.

“But it is!” she cries. “I told her I didn’t want her. I said that I only wanted you, not her.”

 

* * *

 

 

 

Alice is furious.

“You’re not even sorry,” Alice yells over her shoulder to the young woman keeping pace behind her.

“I can’t apologize for doing what I thought was right Alice,” Robin responds, increasing her pace to draw closer to Alice while she plead her case. “That _thing_ was about to kill you, and I couldn’t let that happen. There will be another one, I can sense it. But you can’t cure your dad if you’re dead. Okay?”

“No. Not okay. That was my chance Robin. I had been waiting years for a chance like that and you killed it,” Alice yells as she swings around to face Robin. “This was my chance to be with my Papa again. I was going to be happy again, I wasn’t going to be alone anymore.”

“You’re not alone, remember?” Robin reaches out and grabs a hand that is instantly snatched away. “I’m here.”

“I don’t want you,” Alice screams, grasping her hair and pulling. “I want my Papa.”

“You don’t mean that Alice, you’re just ups-” Robin begins but Alice cuts her off.

“I do! I do mean it! I don’t want you!” She shouts again. “I want my Papa.”

The pain in her chest at the words are too much and Robin can feel her face crumple. Shaking her head, she turns away from Alice and starts walking, struggling not to break. She doesn’t know where she's going just yet, just that it’s away from here, away from this pain she’s feeling. She thinks she’s about a football fields length away before Alice notices and begins calling after her.

“Robin, wait,” she shouts at her back, running and jumping over forestry to try and catch up to the other blonde. “I didn’t mean it. Robin!” But the distance is too large, and Alice quickly loses sight of her.

 

* * *

 

 

Robin isn’t sure of how long she’s been crying, but she knows it’s been long enough that she’s surprised she hasn’t run out of tears from dehydration. She feels like that would be the logical next step in this process. Though she knows she had a good reason for doing this, it doesn’t stop it from hurting her.

She sacrificed her heart so that Alice could be with her father, and as hard as this is going to be, she still can’t find it in herself to be sorry. She knows she did the right thing. Killian and Alice had been apart for way too long.

Now Alice could have that little bit of happiness back. Robin knows that Alice hadn’t meant what she said, but she also knew that Alice was right. Robin knows that they still love each other, but she also knows that Alice was losing hope of ever being reunited with her father again and Robin knew she couldn’t let that happen, so she had devised a plan. When she had walked away from Alice that day, almost a week ago now, she vowed she would do whatever it took to fix it.

And she did.

And she’s still not sorry.

 

* * *

 

 

“I have to find her Papa,” Alice mumbles to Killian as they trudge together through the forest.

“We will Starfish,” Killian tells her. “We still need to check her farm. You and I both know she wouldn’t leave Zelena to tend to that place all alone.”

Alice grabs her father’s hand and picks up her pace at the mention of Emerald Acres Farm. This was the last place her and her father could think of that Robin could be hiding out at. Not that there were many places to consider in the first place. For the last few years the two of them had done everything together, but there were still a few places Robin went without Alice. Just like Alice had places she went that Robin didn’t go.

Alice and her father had spent the last two weeks traveling through the forbidden forest in search of said places. Hoping to find the blonde at one of them. Without her she felt as though a part of her was missing. She didn't like this feeling, and she knew that she had to fix it.

Alice looks back at her papa, only now realizing that she’s still holding his hand. She takes a moment to marvel at the thought. After all those years apart, of not being able to touch her father for fear of killing him, she’s holding his hand.

She’s holding his hand.

She looks up prepared to say something when forest around them explodes with noise and men in masks start streaming towards them. Before she can blink they’re surrounded.

“What is this?” her Papa yells, having drawn his sword and pointing it at those who are closest to them.

“Lower your weapon and no one will get hurt.” A man dressed in all black steps forward towards Alice and he father.

Her father stepped pushes Alice behind him. Effectively placing himself between Alice and the man who spoke. This cause the man to laugh, his companions immediately joining him.

“Well, look-y here lads. Seems he doesn’t want to share. Such a shame too, she is a pretty little thing now ain’t she?” The man’s voice echoed around them, the trees seemingly trapping the sound. “Wouldn’t mind having my way with her, now would I boys?”

A cheer arose from the men surrounding them, causing Alice to flinch in fear.

“You won’t lay a finger on her,” Killian shouts. “Do you hear me? You won’t go near her.”

“You’re not in a position to make demands here. I have the power not you. Lads- grab her.” They all surge forward and Alice screams when she feels hands grabbing her. Killian roars as he turns to protect her, but his progress is delayed when his sword is met with another.

Two men are dragging her away when Alice hears a whistling sound. The man grasping her left arm cries out as he falls to the ground clutching his knee. A second later the man to her right does the same, and quickly before anyone else can react, all the men surrounding Alice and Killian meet the same fate. The man in charge who was fighting Killian tries to run, but he too collapses to the forest floor with an arrow in his knee. His hand reaches for a knife strapped to his ankle, his eyes set on Alice, his intent clear, when another arrow whistles past Alice’s ear and pierces his hand.

Alice spins around towards the origin of the arrows, and when she sees who is standing there she can feel the air knocked out of her lungs.

“Nobin.”

“Hey, Tower Girl.”

Alice feels tears fill her eyes as she looks at her love in pure relief. She's about to tell Robin what she's feeling when Robin shouts and rushes towards her. Alice freezes in confusion when Robin slams into her, throwing the two of them to the ground. Robin grunts before they land and then she's screaming in agony. Alice scrambles to get away, but it all seems too slow as though she can’t get away fast enough.

Robins hand flies to her chest, which is now glowing green. Alice feels a hand on her shoulder as she’s pulled backwards. She turns to look at her father’s grim face as she allows him to separate her and her love. Now that they’re no longer touching Robins screams have ceased. Her body has all but frozen. She’s quiet aside from whimpers and a final, “Oh, shit.”

Alice’s eyes fly to Robin’s face. And she follows Robin’s eyeline until she sees where her gaze was resting. It was resting on the hilt of a dagger sticking out of her side. Alice knows she screams, and she knows that she can’t rush to Robin’s aid. Not anymore.

“Papa,” she yells, stumbling to her feet only to fall to her knees once again. “Papa, please, help her.”

“I will love.” Killian rushes to Robin’s side and lifts her into his arms. “Alice come, we must leave Starfish. It isn’t safe here.”

Alice trails behind her father and Robin as they make their escape. She makes sure to scoop up Robin’s favorite bow as they go. She watches as her father gently picks his way through the forest, trying not to jostle Robin as he goes. Oh, how she wishes she could hold Robin’s hand right now. She can feel herself breaking and she does her best to keep it together. She refuses to fall apart. She stumbles when she hears Robin begin to speak.

“I’m alright Killian. You can put me down now, it’s just a flesh wound. I promise.” She shifts her legs, attempting to free herself from his hold.

“I don’t think that’s the best idea love. It doesn’t look too good.” Her papa tightens his hold, and Alice knows that what just happened scared him. Not just because he almost lost Alice, but because he almost lost Robin as well.

“Seriously Killian, I’ve had worse. I’m okay, I promise. You can put me down.” She squeezes his shoulder.

He stops and pauses looking her in the eye as he does. “Alright, but I need to tend to your wound lass.”

“Alright, I think that’s best,” she groans out as he gently sets her down against the trunk of a tree. Alice approaches the two but stops a few feet away, knowing she can’t get too close. She wishes she could get close.

That thought makes her angry, and she’s asking the question that’s been on her mind for the last two weeks before she can stop herself.

“Why did you do it Robin? Why?” Alice takes another step closer and stops when she sees her father suck in a worried breath. “I didn’t mean what I said, and you know I didn’t. So why?”

“Because you need your father Alice.” Robin runs a hand through her hair to try and shake her nerves. “It’s been so long you were giving up hope. You and I both know what happened when your dad gave up hope of being reunited with you. I didn’t want the same thing to happen to you.”

“But we’re still nowhere near finding a cure. We’re in the same place we were, it’s just now you I can’t be with, not my Papa.”

“I know Alice, but there’s nothing you can’t do when you’re with your father. The two of you together can fix this. I know it. I’m not giving up, we’re going to find the cure I know it. Nothing can stop us now,” Robin tells her as Killian quietly examines the knife still embedded in her side.

“But there is something stopping us,” Alice whispers sadly. “We can’t be together.”

“That’s not true,” Robin reassures her. “From what I can tell, we just can’t touch. Look at how close we are right now. So, we’ll have to keep our distance a little bit. But we can do this I know it.”

Any response Alice had is halted by Robin’s shout of pain as her father yanks out the dagger that was in her side.

“That’s for knocking me out.” He puts pressure on her wound, causing her to cry out again. “And that’s for breaking my good bottle of rum when you did it.”

“Papa,” Alice tries to reprimand him. But Robin ignores his comments and continues.

“I know you’re mad Alice, and I know that my explanation made little to no sense. But, I’m not sorry. I did what I thought was right, and I did it for you. You can be as mad as you want, you can even hate me for making this decision without you, but I’m still not sorry. Because now you have your dad back. You have been waiting for that for so long and it’s finally happened.” She shifts, trying to lean forward, closer to Alice. The movement causes her to wince in pain. “You and I can wait a little while because we haven’t been waiting as long as you or your father have.”

“Robin,” Alice starts, but it appears the woman in front of her isn’t finished yet.

“Does that make sense? I think that makes sense. What about you Nook, does that make sense?”

And before either could answer her, she passes out, slumping back against the tree and beginning to snore.

“Oh, bugger,” Alice exclaims in exasperation.

“Well, that was interesting,” her papa says, sitting back on his heels.

“Oh, hush.”


	2. And Run

“But it could work right?” Alice asks the room at large.

The faces around her flicker with the candle light. Their features fluttering in and out of view. They had been at this for hours, trying to find a new cure. Everyone in this room loved Robin and by extension her. Robin’s family had become like family to her and her papa over the last few years. They would want to fix this.

“No. I refuse, Alice. It’s not an option,” Robin states in frustration. Her arms are crossed over her chest and she’s kicking at the wall to her left, having isolated herself in the corner of the room. She won’t say it out loud, but she knows that Alice needs to be closer to people right now. More than she needs it. So, she’s kept her distance from everyone.

“It may be the only way to cu-” Alice tries.

“And I refuse to believe that!” Robin yells, smacking the wall beside her for emphasis. The sound causes those sitting around the table to jump.

“Robin, Alice is right, this could be the only-” Zelena tries to reason.

“No, no. I don’t believe that. This might not even work and there’s too much at stake.” Robin approaches the table they are all sitting at. Henry and Ella scoot their chairs to the side to give her more room. “This is settling, and I will not settle for anything less than curing my heart one second and then embracing you in the next.”

“That may not be an option, Robin.” Killian rises from his chair and round the table, placing a hand on the young woman’s shoulder.

“It is, I know it is.” Before anyone can react, she’s around the table and face to face with Alice. “Because this,” Alice tries to back away when she sees the pain etched into Robin’s expression only to have Robin grab her arm to stop her retreat, “this I can bear. For as long as I must. But the thought of forgetting you, of forgetting what we have. That is something I can’t bear.”

The second she finishes Robin doubles over in pain and Alice flies across the room trying to place a safe distance between them. Zelena and Regina rush to her side each using their magic to try and stop the pain.

“Oh, no, no, no. You can’t do that. No, no, no.” Alice rushes out of the room in tears, Killian quickly rushing after her. The second she sees that Alice is gone, Robin cries out in pain and collapses to the floor, clutching her heart.

“You shouldn’t have done that Robin,” Regina says. Henry and Ella also make their way towards where Robin is laying on the ground.

“You may have just enforced the idea for her,” Ella tells her.

“You’re not taking my memories,” Robin hisses through gritted teeth.

“But Robin, if there is no love then there can be no effects of the poison. Think about it,” Henry tells her kneeling by her legs and placing a hand on her thigh.

“But what about when we fall in love again. ‘Cause I know we will. I can feel it, the love we have, even if you take my memories, the love will still be there, and I’ll still be poisoned.” Robin kicks her leg up to shake Henry’s touch.

“Then let me take it, let me take your heart.” Regina raises her hand over Robin’s chest, poised to take matters into her own hands. But she pauses when Robin starts laughing. They all jump when they hear a voice in the doorway.

“You’re welcome to try dearie, but you won’t get the results that you want,” Rumple states leaning against the door jamb with a flourish of his hands. This just makes Robin laugh even more.

“What?” Henry and Ella ask.

“Robin, what is he talking about?” Zelena asks leaning closer to her daughter’s head, brushing her hair behind her ears.

“True love,” Robin says, slowly gaining control of her breathing. “It’s protected by true love, how ironic is that?”

“What? But that doesn’t make sense,” Regina says. “The only person whose heart couldn’t be removed was Emma, and that was because she was a product of true love. No offense to Robin here, but she’s not the product of true love.”

“You’re not wrong dearie, but Robin got her new heart through an act of true love, ergo-” Rumple says as he walks towards the group. Before he can finish his sentence, Henry does it for him.

“Ergo, her heart is protected.” Robin starts laughing again at Henry’s proclamation pressing her palms into her eyes.

“Got it in one, dearie.” His words cause Robin to start laughing even harder.

“This isn’t funny Robin, why are you laughing?” Zelena asks her daughter.

“Because if I don’t laugh, I’ll cry. And if I start crying I don’t think I’ll ever stop.” She pushes herself up into a sitting position, takes a deep breath and gets to her feet. “I need to go talk to Alice.”

“I don’t think that’s the best idea Robin, I think she needs her space,” Regina tells her as she walks towards the door.

Robin pulls the door open, looks her aunt straight in the eye, and says, “Then I guess it’s a good thing I don’t care what you think right now.”

And with that she exits the room.

“Starfish calm down, she’s going to be okay. I promise, Regina and Zelena are with her,” Killian tells his crying daughter as she paces from the door to the window.

“But she’s not okay. I hurt her, Papa.” She sucks in a shuddering breath. “I hurt her, and I don’t- I don’t know what- what I-” She cuts herself off with another sob.

Killian surges forward and pulls Alice into his arms, reveling in the feeling of getting to hold his daughter. The feeling of being able to sway with her, to comfort her after all these years. He may not like how he got to this point, but he’s still unspeakably happy that he is here.

“And I wish, I wish I could stay mad at her; but I can’t,” Alice whispers into his shoulder. “Not when she’s hurting, and the only thing I want is to run to her and pull her close. But I’m still angry. And all these feelings they’re doin’ my head in. And it feels like my heart is being torn in two. Is this what it feels like? Is this what Robin feels when she gets near me? Or you? Is this what you felt? This is torture, Papa, torture.”

“Alice,” they hear from the doorway, and then Alice is flying towards the window.

“Robin you shouldn’t be here. It’s too dangerous, I don’t want to heart you. Please,” whispers Alice, her voice cracking throughout her plea.

“Killian, can you give Alice and I a minute?” Robin requests. When he sees her supporting her weight against the door jamb, he hesitates. “Killian, please.”

“Aye, love.” He turns to look at Alice. “I’ll be just outside Starfish.”

When he exits the room, Robin closes the door behind him. She leans against it and slides down to the floor. Once she’s sitting she gestures for Alice to do the same. Alice hesitates for a second, looking Robin in the eye. The broken look she sees there makes her want to cry and forces her body downwards.

“I’m sorry, Alice,” Robin says. When she continues her voice breaks. “Not for doing this, because now you have your dad. Your _dad_ , Alice. How amazing is that? I would give anything to meet my dad. So, I’m not sorry for doing it, but I am sorry for how it’s hurting you. I know this is hard. But we’ll get through this you have to believe that love. You have to, or else we lose. And if there’s one thing I don’t do, it’s lose.” She pauses, “Unless of course I’m playing you at chess. Then I lose. I lose a lot.”

They both laugh at that. But it’s tinged with sadness. They sit in silence, just looking at each other and drinking in the sight.

“Are you okay?” Alice asks. She can’t find it in herself to make eye contact. She’s afraid that she’ll see pain in those eyes.

“I’m okay, I promise,” Robin tells her. “Hey, Alice look at me.” She doesn’t want to. “Alice, look at me.” She can feel the tears in her eyes begin to fall as she tries to resist, but she feels a pull in her heart and she finds her head slowly raising until she’s searching Robin’s face for a sign that she’s lying. “I’m okay, just a little sore, I promise.”

“I can’t do this Robin, I can’t hurt you. And this?” Alice gestures between the two of them. “This is too painful. And if my memories are gone, it won’t hurt.”

“Don’t say that Alice, don’t.” Robin pushes herself up onto her knees, wanting to get closer but the second she tries she falls backwards clutching her chest. “It won’t change the fact that I love you and you love me, or that my heart is poisoned. You and I? We’ll get through this, I know we will. And today, we’re one day closer to our cure. And tomorrow? We’ll be another day closer. We just have to get through today, then get through tomorrow. There will be good days, and there will be bad days like today. But we’ll get through it. I promise. As long as we love each other, nothing will be too much. Our love is stronger than that.”

“It’s been almost a year Robin, what if it’s not?” Alice whispers looking back down at her hands. Her words have a physical effect on Robin. She slumps back against the door, and she runs her hands through her hair. Her eyes flutter upwards around the ceiling as she tries to keep the tears at bay. She sucks in a breath and holds it trying not to cry. She waits until she can’t hold it anymore and the breath huffs out of her lungs. Then she rises to her feet and opens the door pausing in the doorway.

“If that’s what you think Alice, I understand. This is hard on a relationship. I won’t be mad if you erase your memories. If that’s what you need to do. I love you, Alice. With all my heart, I always will.” Her voice breaks again, and she clears her throat. “I’m going on a journey, I’ll be gone a few months. I had assumed that you would come with me, so I’ll leave the bag I packed for you with Ella.”

“No wait, Robin-”

“I think it’ll be best if I do this alone.” And with that she’s gone, and Alice is on her feet chasing after her.

“Robin,” she calls, racing past her papa.

“Starfish?” he asks, bewildered as to what is going on.

Alice soars through the hallway, towards the passageway she saw Robin disappear through. When she opens the door, Robin is nowhere to be seen.

“Bugger it all!”

 

* * *

 

 

“Where is she?” Alice asks as she storms into the stables to find Henry unsaddling his horse. Henry turns to face her, startled.

“She called the trip off, said she changed her mind, then she left towards the meadow. She was saying someth-” Alice doesn’t wait for him to finish before she takes off at a sprint towards the meadow. She tears through the trees as fast as she can. She can feel the branches pulling at her cloak, but she doesn’t slow. She has to get there before Robin leaves. The last time Robin left before they could clear the air as Robin put it, Robin went and poisoned her heart. Alice would hate to see what would happen this time.

She reaches the meadow in time to see Robin toss a bean up and down in her hand.

“So, you were just going to leave?” she calls, causing Robin to freeze.

“No, I was waiting for you.” She turns towards Alice, adjusting her quiver awkwardly as she does so.

“You can’t run off like that every time we have a fight. We can’t work things out if you’re gone.” Alice strides forward stopping when she’s a safe distance away.

“I know, Alice, I know and I’m sorry. It’s just.” She stops, kicking the grass in frustration. “I just couldn’t bear it if you said something more. I don’t know. What you said hurt you know? And the first time, I realized that you were right, and that hurt. And this time what you said hurt, but I didn’t want you to be right. You know? Because if you are right, and our love isn’t enough, I don’t- I don’t think I-” Her words stop as she looks down at her feet and starts crying.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” Alice says echoing their first adventure together. But Robin looks her in the eye and the look Alice sees there causes her to cry as well.

“No Alice, it’s not okay. I can’t even im-” she cuts herself off once again. Talking has become very difficult considering she can barely breathe right now.

“No, no, no,” Alice says, once again getting closer. “I was just scared, Robin. I love you, but I hurt you. And I’m scared that someday you’ll realize that it’s not worth it. That I’m not worth it. And if that ever happened it would kill me.”

“And that would never happen. I love you so much, and I know that this is worth it. But you can’t keep trying to end this to prevent possible pain that may never happen, because it’s causing real pain right now. You need to accept that I’m in love with you and that’ll never change. No matter how long we’re apart, I will always love you. If you don’t feel the same, I need to know now. Because if-” Robin tells her flailing her hands between them for emphasis, and Alice cuts her off before she can finish.

“I do. I do feel the same. Robin, I love you so much. I just can’t bear the thought that I hurt you so. This is the most trapped I have ever felt. Even when I was in my tower, I didn’t feel this trapped because, I still had choices in that tower. Ways to cope. Here I have no choices. Over the tears my way of coping has become you. Holding your hand, talking to you, reading you stories while you play with my hair, and vice versa. That got me through the hard times with my papa, with finding a cure, with all of it. And now it’s just gone. I can’t do any of that anymore and it makes me sad. And then that sadness, it-”

“It grows,” Robin finishes for her, nodding her head in agreement. “I know.”

They stand in silence, once again just drinking the sight of each other in. Alice could happily live in this moment forever, if only she could grab her hand.

“So,” Alice breaks the silence, “where are we headin’?”

Robin laughs, and bends down to pick up a bag that Alice hadn’t noticed previously. She tosses it to Alice and turns back the way she had been facing.

“We’re off to Oz, love.” Robin starts tossing the bean up and down in her hand again.

“Shouldn’t we wait for Henry?” Alice asks pulling her bag over her head as she closes what distance she can between her and Robin.

“I figured it would be good for just the two of us to go you know? Kind of like old times?” Robin sounds unsure, but when she looks at Alice she can see that smile. The one that says, ‘brilliant, let’s go get into trouble’, she can feel her own smile start to grow.

“But what about papa? I need to say-” Alice starts only to be cut off. She’s really tired of being interrupted.

“I’m here love, Robin had Queen Tiana tell me to come. Your lass is quite the schemer, Starfish. Seems she knew you would make up.” Killian walks into the clearing, smiling at his daughter and the young woman behind her. Alice rushes forward and allows herself to be swept into his arms. They take a second to breathe each other in before her papa pulls back and places a kiss on her forehead. “Go Starfish be safe. I love you.”

“Bye papa. I love you too.” She’s squeezes his hands where they’re cradling her face. He kisses her forehead one last time before stepping back and looking at Robin over Alice’s shoulder.

“Robin be safe, and I trust you won’t do anything stupid.” His words cause Alice to giggle and Robin to full out laugh.

“Ho, hooo. That’s cute. You know me Captain, I’m not really known for thinking before doing. So, I’ll see you around. Old man.” Alice and her papa laugh as Robin throws her bean and runs through the portal before he can retaliate.

“You picked a good one love,” Killian tells his daughter.

“I know papa, I know.” She adjusts her bag one last time, throws him a smile, and then jumps through the portal before it could close.

 

* * *

 

 

When she lands, she stumbles a bit. She turns around looking for Robin, so that they can laugh about it together. They really need a laugh right now, and the fact that she still stumbles after having jumped through so many portals is something that Robin finds outrageously funny. But when she meets Robin’s eyes she’s immediately shushed. Her smile vanishes when Robin mouths the word, ‘bandits’, and motions for her to hide.

That’s when Alice hears it. The screams. Alice and Robin make eye contact and they both know exactly what to do. The thought that they don’t even need words to communicate makes Alice smile. But only briefly of course, they have a serious matter at hand. Robin throws her a wink, once again as though she knows exactly what Alice is thinking, and then she’s gone. Running to find a tree with a good vantage point. Gosh, Alice wishes they could communicate like that when they fight, things would be so much easier that way.

She waits for the tale tell, ‘what the’s’ and ‘take cover’s’. Then she too is making her way towards the skirmish. She pushes up her sleeves as she runs, so as to free her hands for what is about to come. She sees a man running for cover behind a tree and with a flick of her hand vines are binding him to the trunk of said tree. His panicked, confused, high pitched yelps make her giggle.

“Alice, the last one! Quick he’s getting away!” She hears Robin call out to her. She turns to see the man running and flicks her hand and a vine reaches down and snatches him up by the ankle. His screams are also high pitched.

Gosh, she loves magic.

“ _Alice!_ ” Robin’s panicked scream sends her running. When she reaches the clearing, all is still. Too still. And there were bodies everywhere.

“Oh, no,” Alice can feel her face crumple. They were dead. They were all dead.

“Alice, quick,” Robin calls. Alice looks over at her and she sees her kneeling over a body. “Please Alice, you have to heal her.”

Robin is holding the woman’s hand, and she refuses to let go.

“Robin you need to back away, I can’t come any closer without hurting you. Please,” Alice says, pausing in her approach. But Robin doesn’t move.

“No, I won’t leave her. I’ll be fine. Alice, hurry.”

“The- pl-ple,” the woman whispers, trying to speak.

“Shh, shh, it’s alright. You’re okay.” Robin brushes her hair out of the woman’s face. Then glances at Alice. “Alice, please now.”

Alice rushes forward and kneels at the woman’s side. She sees the gaping hole in her stomach and instantly knows that there is nothing she can do. “Robin….” She looks up and sees Robin’s heart glow green.

“I know. I know Alice, but we have to try. Please we have to try,” Robin pleads, still brushing the woman’s hair behind ear. She’s crying, and Alice realizes that she is too. She holds her hand over the woman’s wound. But the progress is too slow and now the woman is trying to talk. “Shh, shh, you’re okay. You’re okay.”

“Th- the baby. P-p-please. The b-baby,” she sobs. Alice and Robin look at each other, and Alice can see her heart still glow green. This is killing her.

“What?” Robin asks. Looking around and specifically not seeing a baby. “I don’t see-”

“Th-they w-w-were aft-t-ter h-her. Magic f-flower s-saved her l-l-life. T-t-they th-thought she h-had the s-same pow-wer. B-but she d-doesn’t.” Robin pauses at the woman’s words.

“Wait, the Lux Flower?” she asks grunting in pain as she leans in closer, also leaning closer to Alice in the process. Alice wants to pull away, but she knows she can’t.

“Y-yes.” The woman nods.

“Are there more?” Robin asks, and Alice looks at her confused. What does a flower have to do with anything?

“Yes.” Robin nods and squeezes the woman’s hand.

“Okay, okay good. Now, where’s the baby?” Robin is doubled over now, but still she refuses to let go.

“N-near.” The woman’s head lolls to the side. She’s losing consciousness, and Alice can sense that the end is near.

“Robin, it’s not working.” Robin shakes her head. “I’m sorry, I’m trying, but it’s not working. It won’t work if they’ve given up.”

It’s hard for Alice to say, and she wishes that it wasn’t so, but there’s nothing more she can do. The look on Robin’s face makes her heart ache.

“Robin, I’m sorry,” Alice whispers as the woman’s eyes slide closed for a final time.

“It’s alright love, you tried,” Robin tells her looking her in the eye. Then she’s moving away, and Alice wishes that she didn’t have too.

“Is there really a baby? Or do you think they got her?” Alice asks as they both rise to their feet. Alice scans the area around her and the sight of the bodies surrounding them makes her want to be sick.

“I don’t know, but we need to look. If there is a baby here she shouldn’t be hard to find.” As if to emphasize Robin’s point a small cry rings out over the clearing. “What the-”

“Over there.” Alice points to a wicker box hidden under some blankets. She doesn’t know _how_ she knows, but she can feel it. They race over, Robin staying further back, to ensure her safety.

Alice throws open the basket, and there, inside, is a tiny, red faced baby.

“Holy shit,” Robin breathes.

“Well, Nobin, I don’t want to understate the obvious, but this day has been totally bonkers.” She gently lifts the baby from the confines of the basket.

“Tell me about it babe. The last time I had a day like this was when I stole some of Dopey’s brownies and reacted badly.” Robin steps closer to get a better look. “She is cute though.”

“I didn’t understand half of what you just said.” She pauses, and just stares at the baby in her hands. “Robin, what are we going to do with a bloody baby?” Alice asks, looking at Robin over her shoulder.

“Eat her?” Robin jokes. But Alice is appalled, not realizing what Robin has said is a joke.

“I would do no such-” Alice begins.

“Babe, it was a joke, I promise.”

“Why would you make a joke like that?” Alice cradles the baby to her chest and begins to rock her.

“I don’t know. I make jokes when I’m nervous. You know that,” Robin hisses, afraid of raising her voice in front of the baby.

“Oh, so what do we do now?” Alice asks, looking back at Robin.

“I don’t know Alice.” She steps around the two and crouches in front of Alice, maintaining eye contact as she goes. “I don’t know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please Review!!!! Let me know what you think!


	3. As We Are Now

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please read note at the end! Also I don't have a beta, and I don't really proof read, so sorry for all mistakes!

Margot adjusts the baby in her arms as she closes the car door behind her with a kick. She’s holding her phone to her ear with her shoulder as she does so. Her daughter’s head now cradled in her neck, Margot lifts a hand to grab her phone and spins around to take in her surroundings.

“Yes, I’m here Henry. Mind telling me why you _and_ my mom asked me to come to Hyperion Heights? You don’t even know my mom, so I think it’s safe to say I’m a little confused.” Margot starts bouncing her baby as she talks.

“I just need your help okay?” Henry says, she can hear the plea in his voice.

“Okay,” she responds elongating the end of the word. “But why Hyperion Height’s when we have a perfectly good apartment twenty minutes away with my bed and a crib for your niece. The latter of which is still cranky from our twenty-hour flight to Vancouver, not to mention our three-hour drive to Seattle.”

“Oh, yeah. How was Tibet?” Henry asks, trying to change the subject.

“It was good,” Margot tells him. “It was work. And that’s not going to work Henry. Now tell me why I’m here.”

“Okay, okay,” Henry relents. “I’ll tell you when you get here.”

“And where is here, exactly?” Margot asks, once again spinning around to look at her surroundings.

“I’ll tell you if you promise not to get mad,” Henry says. The sound of his nervousness makes Margot smile.

“Why, where are you?” she asks as she strokes her daughter's back soothingly.

“At home,” Henry mumbles. His words make Margot want to bang her head against the lamppost she’s standing under.

“So, when you called me this morning, begging me to come home, and to meet you in a part of downtown named Hyperion Heights. And you know I hate downtown, you know that. It didn’t occur to you to tell me that you weren’t going to be here? So instead of saying, ‘We can talk when you get home,’ you said, ‘you have to come to Hyperion Heights as soon as possible,’?” Margot asks trying her best to remain calm so as not to wake the sleeping baby, but her friend is making this ridiculously hard.

“Yes?” Henry asks, clearly unsure of himself. “But, to make it up to you I’ll take diaper duty for the next week.”

Margot pauses to consider the offer. “If I’m also going to be helping you, then you better make it two weeks.”

“Deal.” Henry hangs up before she has the chance to say anything else.

Margot pockets her phone and cranes her neck to look at her little girl, sleeping soundly cuddled into her chest. “Your uncle,” she says to the baby, “is a pain in the butt. Isn’t he beautiful? Yes, he is, yes, he is. He’s lucky mama’s too tired to be angry, huh sweet pea! Oh yes!” she whispers in her daughter’s ear as she struggles to quietly open the car door. She struggles for a second before she finally succeeds, releasing a puff a breath in victory when she does.

She gently sets her daughter in her car seat and buckles her up before finally making her way to the driver’s side and sliding into the car. She closes her eyes for a second, wishing she could sleep, she should not be driving right now, but knowing she couldn’t. Boy, does she hate her roommate right now.

* * *

 

 

 

“Alright, the baby’s down for the night,” Margot says quietly as she enters the living room and sits at the kitchen island. “Now. Why am I here and why is there someone sleeping on our couch?” She asks looking at the back of the person on her couch. “Oh, and who is this?” She asks turning to face Henry, pointing at the man she doesn’t know who is sitting to her left.

“Margot, this is detective Rogers. Rogers, this is my roommate Margot,” Henry makes the introductions.

“Nice to meet you detective.” Margot holds out a hand for the detective to shake, only for the detective to look at her hand with a raised eyebrow and not take it.

“Henry, this is a sensitive matter,” Rogers says as he turns back towards Henry. “This situation is delicate, and we can’t afford to have outsiders-”

Margot starts laughing at his words. When Rogers looks over at her she lifts her hands, palms out, in surrender. “Hey, I get it. But calm down, I’m here to help. Help with what exactly, I don’t know. So, Henry, mind filling me in?”

“Well, there’s been a bit of a murder problem,” Henry tells her, refusing to make eye-contact with the woman.  
“I’m sorry, what?” Margot asks not sure she heard correctly.

“We’ve been suffering from the effects of someone’s murder spree.” Henry gestures awkwardly unsure of what to do.

“I’m sorry, but did you just refer to the effects of a murder spree as though they were the effects of a drought or something? Henry,” she scoots forward in her stool leaning closer to the man, “you had me bring my seven-month-old back to a place with what sounds like a serial killer, on the loose?”

“You have nothing to worry about, love,” Rogers tells her, placing a hand on her arm. “The killer is only attacking women who are members of a cult. And he’s framing-”

“Our friend on the couch, okay.” Margot runs a hand through her hair. “And you need me here why?”

“If ever there was a real Nancy Drew, you’d be it. You’re good at this stuff, you were even going to be a cop before you got pregnant. I know you can help us solve this.” Henry reaches across the island and grabs his roommates hand.

“Yes, and there’s a reason why I didn’t, because it was dangerous, and I had a kid to worry about. Last time I checked, I still have a kid,” Margot hisses at him, aware of the sleeping stranger on her couch.

“I know, I know, but please,” Henry says. “We need your help, and I promise it’s safe for you and for the kid.”

“Fine, fine, what do you want me to do?” Margot asks in resignation.

“We need to find Tilly an alibi. Anything that could place her in a different place at the time of the murder,” Rogers says after a moment's hesitation. He was still unsure as to whether or not they could trust this woman.

“And what time was that?” Henry asks before Margot gets the chance to.

“The M.E. doesn’t know yet, but when she does, she’ll let us know.” Rogers shifts in his seat, the lack of information bothering him.

“Alright, I’ll work on it in the morning,” Margot says, rising from her stool. “Any places she likes to visit?”

“The park, the waterfront, places with food, basically everywhere,” Henry lists.

“That’s not exactly helpful Henry,” Margot rolls her eyes as she heads for her bedroom door. She stops before she can turn the knob when Rogers starts talking again.

“She loves that troll statue under the tracks,” he says. “So anywhere near there. Also, if you could be discrete about-”

“Don’t worry detective,” Margot says, opening her door and stepping inside. “There’s nothing more inconspicuous than a baby.” With that she closes the door behind her and collapses on her bed.

 

* * *

 

 

“Alice, I’m not joking this time, it’s your turn to get the baby,” Robin mumbles, rolling over to block out the cries of the young baby. When she receives no response, she lifts her arm to throw her shirt at the woman across the room. Alice stirs when the shirt hits her head and then she launches upwards when she hears the baby’s soft cries.

She’s exhausted, sleep had been nonexistent for the both of them but damn is it worth it. As she picks the baby up and begins cradling her she thinks back to the day they found her. It had been two weeks ago now. She remembers that Robin had kept her distance when Alice had picked up the baby.

_“Alice, let me see her,” Robin says anxiously. When Alice turns her body to give her a better view of the baby she can see her worrying at her bow handle. “Support her head.”_

_“Robin, I know. I’ve held a baby before.” Alice holds the child close, cradling her head in the crook of her arm. Robin steps closer and peers at the child._

_“Alice, she’s not even a week old, her umbilical cord is still attached. Those usually fall off at one week.” Alice’s heart clenches at Robin’s words. She also wonders for a second how Robin knows this._

_“Maybe she has a family in a nearby village,” Alice says, wrapping her skirts around the baby._

_“We’ll check, but I think they were nomads. They all had tents, and they were travelling in a large group. I think they were a tribe.” Robin picks her way through the bodies, she’s looking for something she can swaddle the baby in. But the sight of the dead around her makes her want to be sick. Who could do this?_

_“Robin, she’s so small, look at her.” Alice strokes the baby’s head with a shaking hand. She’s extremely concerned by the baby’s small size, aren’t they supposed to be bigger than this? But, before she can worry further, a long, diagonal scar across her chest over her stomach. Robin must’ve been too distracted to notice. “Robin, she has a scar across her chest. Right over her heart._

_“The woman said the Lux Flower saved her life,” Robin says. “Maybe it saved her from that.” Robin pauses and looks around at their surroundings. “But, it looks like they’ve been in this area for a few months. So, they didn’t just have the flower on hand, we’re half a day’s hike from the area they grow.”_

_“Robin, what are you talking about?” Alice asks unsure of where this is going. The baby continues to cry in her arms._

_“If that cut was serious or she got an infection, in Storybrooke it could’ve been fixed or dealt with right away. Because we had modern medicine and technology but here…. If she was about to die….” Robin trails off again._

_“Robin, what are you saying?” Alice asks trying to rock the baby, hoping that would get her to stop crying._

_“I’m saying she’s strong,” Robin whispers. “Newborns are easy targets for infections, that cut must’ve gotten infected. And look at it, that’s a serious cut, if_ that _got infected, most babies here would’ve died. But she didn’t she’s a fighter. She’s strong.”_

_“She’s just a baby. People wanted to hurt her or worse, and she’s only a baby. She needed a ‘cure’, Robin. And she’s not even a week old.” The baby continues crying, and Alice doesn’t know what to do. “She’s just a baby.”_

_“I know, love,” Robin says as she approaches with a blanket she found. She lays it down in front of Alice and the baby. “Here, I think she needs to be swaddled. She must be cold.”_

_“I don’t know how-” Alice begins, feeling overwhelmed tears fill her eyes._

_“That’s okay,” Robin says, trying to calm her. “Just lay her on the blanket, and I’ll do it.”_

_“Okay,” Alice whispers. She eases over the blanket and gently lowers the baby to the blanket. The baby starts crying harder at the loss of warmth Alice provided. “Shh, shh sweet girl. You’re alright. Hush now.” Alice lays the girl down and backs away so that Robin may approach the blanket._

_Robin kneels down in front of the girl and lays her bow down next to her legs and lifts her quiver over her head to lay it down next to her bow._

_“Hey, sweet thing.” Robin sets her hand on the baby’s chest, and rubs it gently, trying to sooth her. “My name’s Robin, and the pretty lady who found you? Her name is Alice.” As she talks Robin starts to wrap the baby in the blanket she had found. Alice watches intently as she does so, wanting to know how to do what Robin is doing. She can’t help but smile at Robin’s words. Robin continues talking to the baby, “She’s my girlfriend. Yes, she is. Yes, she is. And we love each other very much. Oooh, but if we’re going to talk about pretty things then we should talk about you, shouldn’t we little miss? Yes, yes. You’re a pretty little thing aren’t ya?” Robin finishes swaddling the baby and lifts the crying newborn into her arms._

_“Where did you learn all this Robin?” Alice asks, in awe of her girlfriend’s knowledge of children._

_“When I was in high school a woman named Ashley taught a class on child development. Half the course was about babies. We even had a robotic baby we had to take care of for a weekend. And I learned to swaddle when Lucy was born.”_

_“Robotic?” Alice asks, unsure of what Robin had just said._

_“Mechanical, bits and bobs powered by electricity or batteries. Like the phone I showed you once, but you know… in baby form.” Robin says as she bounces her arms and sways back and forth, trying to further calm the now whimpering baby._

_“How odd.” Alice says. As she tries to picture what she’s just been told, they lapse into a tense silence. “What are we going to do, Robin?” Alice asks scooting towards the two._

_“We’ll take her to the next village. Maybe they’ll have an orphanage or a family there who will be willing to take her in.” Robin cradles the baby in one arm as she grabs her things and slowly rises to her feet._

_“But, what if there are more people after her? She could still be in danger, and how could we be sure that the people we leave her with will treat her well, and not use her for some powers she may or may not possess?” Alice rises to her feet as well._

_“Alice, we can’t keep her.”_

_“Well, why not?” Alice asks._

_“Because we’re not her parent’s, Alice. We’re barely able to take care of ourselves right now. We can barely stand three feet away from each other, how are we going to take care of a baby?” Robin asks slowly moving her things to her shoulder._

It had taken them an almost the entire time they had had the baby to finally reach a village, and by then Robin also hadn’t wanted to let her go. So here they were. Holed up in an inn, plotting their next move. Alice has to admit, if she had been doing this without Robin she would have lost it by now. She didn’t even know that babies couldn’t have milk. Robin said it was something about it having too much protein and minerals for them to digest. And not enough nutrients… anyway. They had to use a few of their beans to pick up the necessary supplies. Alice hadn’t even known about half of the stuff they had needed.

Alice’s thoughts are interrupted by Robin’s tired voice. “Is she okay?”

“She’s fine, love. Just hungry, go back to sleep.” Alice smiles as Robin nods her head.

“Mmkay, love you,” Robin exhales with a smile before falling back to sleep. Alice lovingly watches her love as she sleeps.

When she feels a small hand touch her neck she looks down at the baby in her arms. “You know what, little bird? I’m going to marry that woman one day.”

 

* * *

 

 

Margot had spent the whole day canvassing the neighborhood. The baby had loved spending the day in her carrier. Every time, someone had cooed over her, she would smile, giggle, and kick her legs, enjoying the attention. She was Margot’s secret weapon. She had learned that people were always more forthcoming with information when they were distracted by a cute baby. They had picked up lunch at a food truck called, ‘The Rolling Bayou’. She hates to admit it but, she thinks she’s found a new addiction. She remembers her addiction to the cronut when she was pregnant. She shivers when she remembers how bad that had gotten.

She had just finished taking break. She had sat down on a bench and read ‘Alice in Wonderland’ to her baby. Her daughter loved looking at the pictures. And every time she heard the name Alice or saw a drawing of her, she would start clapping and laughing. Turning her head this way and that to look up at Margot and smile.

Margot had one last thing to check and then she was going home for the night. She had done some research, and when she was talking to a friend of hers in city maintenance, she had heard he was doing repairs in the area yesterday and might’ve seen Tilly, he had told her about an interesting new addition to a certain troll. If he was right, then she may have a way to prove Tilly’s innocence.

As she walked towards the troll, her daughter was self-soothing. Listening to her babble to herself made Margot smile. It was ridiculously cute, and Margot loved listening to her daughter’s voice. She doesn’t know a lot of words just yet, but the ones she does now are adorable. Margot has officially been promoted to ‘mama’ for about a month now, and she is loving it.

She’s almost to the troll when she hears a voice.

“Do you know how the evidence got here?” the voice asks. “You know me better than anyone. I can’t’ve done it, could I? Or I could’ve done it, can’t I?” The voice pauses, and Margot can hear a car honking it’s horn incessantly. “I really am all alone. I have to leave this place, before I hurt anyone else.”

Margot rounds the troll as the voice finishes, and she sees a woman start to walk away from her, towards the street. The street with a car barreling down it. Just like that Margot breaks into a sprint towards the woman. Her daughter giggles as they speed up, unaware of what is about to happen.  Margot’s heart is in her throat as she plants her feet grabs the handle of a backpack and pulls as hard as she can, pushing backwards against the pavement to try and increase the distance between them and the car now speeding past with a honk.

The woman’s hands grip her arms tightly in surprise, their eye contact fleeting as she turns to look at the car now driving away. Her right hand slowly sliding off of Margot’s arm.

“He didn’t see me,” the woman says. And Margot exhales a breath of relief and a short, soft giggle that mingles with her daughter’s.

“Well, you’re kinda hard to miss,” Margot says, releasing another soft laugh. When the woman just looks at her, Margot decides to continue talking. “I’m sorry, were you just talking to the troll?” She gestures to the troll behind her but doesn’t break her eye contact with the other woman. She feels as though someone has reached into her chest and gripped her heart. She doesn’t know what, but there is something about this woman that is making her heart falter. The woman’s face falls at Margot’s question.

“Yeah,” she says dropping her hand helplessly. “I know what you’re thinkin’. Crazy Tilly. Totally bonkers. Absolutely mad.” Tilly shakes her head at herself. And Margot smiles softly at the woman she recognizes as the person she’s been trying to help all day.

“Yeah, kinda.” Margot smiles as she leans closer to the woman. “But all the best people are. We just got back from Tibet. Everybody there talks to statues.” She pauses to look down at her daughter who was kicking her legs and laughing as she reached towards the new woman. She finds her smile growing as she looks back at the other woman. “So, what were you telling the troll?”

“I was,” Tilly begins, and she falters before she tries again smiling sadly as she does. “I was saying goodbye.”

Margot grabs one of her daughter flailing hands as she considers what Tilly has said. “You’re running away,” she says in understanding. “I tried that. You know what I found out? Sometimes you just have to look up and face your problems.” As the words come out of her mouth she realizes that that is literally and figuratively exactly, what Tilly must do. So, she’s going to let her, because it seems like that’s something that she needs right now.

“Well, it was nice to meet you Crazy Tilly.” She reaches out and taps Tilly’s arm with her book. “Good luck.”

Her daughter starts crying as they walk away, but before she can get very far, Tilly’s voice stops her. “Uh, hey. What’s that you’re reading?”

Margot turns back towards Tilly, and the cries cease. “‘Alice in Wonderland’. It’s our favorite. Raven loves Alice.”

“Raven. You know the raven is a symbol of strength.” Tilly says, swinging her arms awkwardly.

“I may’ve read that somewhere, yeah. See you around,” Margot smiles as she walks away, and even though she can’t get Raven to stop crying. She has a feeling that Tilly is going to be important to her.

As she walks away she can her a car pull up behind her and stop. “Hey Tilly,” Rogers yells. “We’re out of time. I need to take you in. I will find you an alibi, I promise.”

Margot pauses her retreat, waiting for Tilly to make her discovery, ready to intervene if she doesn’t.

“I think I’ve already found someone,” Tilly says, making Margot smile. She noticed the camera, good.

Margot has to stifle a giggle at Rogers’ bewildered, “Security camera?”

“He saw me,” she hears Tilly say. “He’s always seen me.”

Her words make Margot sad as she begins to walk away again. Henry had called her with hourly updates throughout the day. She had heard about Tilly’s struggle with being unnoticed today. How she felt invisible. God, how that pains her. No one should ever have to feel like they’re invisible. As if they don’t exist. But, she knows, just from the minute she talked to her, Tilly is strong. She’ll get through it.

 

* * *

 

 

“We need to call her something,” Alice says as she watches Robin change the baby’s diaper. “According to you she’s a week away from being a month old. We can’t just keep calling her ‘the baby’.”

“I don’t know…. Back in Storybrooke there was a movie with a character named Baby. Maybe it’s too late for her, maybe she’ll forever be known as Baby… baby.” She buttons up the onesie and lifts the baby into the cradle of her arms.

“Robin, if you are suggesting Baby as a name, I’m going to use magic to dye all of your things baby pink. And we’ll see how you feel about things named baby then, huh? How about that?” Alice asks from her perch on the window sill. She smirks when she’s sees Robin freeze.

“You wouldn’t dare,” Robin says softly bouncing the baby.

“Try me.” They stare at each other, Robin trying to call her bluff and Alice refusing to budge.

“Fine,” Robin exclaims in exasperation. “It was a joke. Now what do you want to name the baby?”

“Raven.” Alice barks out making Robin laugh.

“Wow, you just had that one in the barrel, didn’t you?” she asks, still laughing. “No need to think about it?”

“I have been thinking about it. The raven is a symbol of strength. You and I both know how strong she is. She’s our little fighter.” Alice looks down and begins worrying at her skirt. “Plus, Raven would be a beautiful, perfect name. Especially for her, because, like with an actual Raven, the sky will be her limit. There will be nothing she can’t do. She’ll be strong like her mother’s.”

Robin just stands there staring at her love. She can’t even find the words to express how what Alice just said made her feel. But her pause gives Alice the wrong impression.

“You don’t like it?” Alice asks, her voice merely a whisper.

“No, love. I think it’s perfect.” Alice’s head shoots up at Robin’s words and she can see tears in her eyes.

“Then what’s wrong?” she asks in alarm. Robin holds the baby closer.

“I love you so much.” Robin’s voice breaks. “And I just wish I could hug you and kiss the shit out of you.”

“Robin, language,” Alice automatically scolds the other woman, the latter of which releases what sounds to be a mix between a laugh and a sob.

“Last one, I promise.”

“I wish I could do all of those things too,” Alice says softly, looking Robin right in the eye. “Do your really like it?”

“Baby, it’s perfect.”

“I love you,” Alice tells her.

“I love you too,” Robin tells her. Her right hand stroking Raven’s head. “What about her middle name?”

“Why would she need a middle name?” Alice asks. Last time she checked, she only had two names. Alice Jones.

“It’s just something that was common in Storybrooke. It’ll also come in handy when she’s a moody teenager and she gets in trouble. There’s nothing scarier than a mother saying your full name, middle included. I learned that the hard way.” Robin laughs when she remembers all the times Zelena had whipped out her middle name.

“I hadn’t really thought past the name Raven, to be honest. If we’re giving her another name, maybe we could name her after someone, you know?” Alice suggests. “Kinda like we’re honoring their memory?”

“To be honest, I haven’t really known a lot of people who have died,” Robin tells her sheepishly. “And I’m not sure I want her to have to worry about carrying someone’s mantle. I know how hard it can be. Who were you thinking of?”

“Maybe Belle?” Alice asks.

“Belle?” Robin repeats. “Rumples wife, Belle?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, Belle is French for beautiful,” Robin says. “I like that, but like I said I don’t know if I want to give her someone else’s name.”

“What about Beautiful?” Alice snaps her finger and points at Robin after a moment’s hesitation.

“You didn’t like Baby, but you’re okay with Beautiful?” Alice nods her head. “Yeah, no. Just let me think for a second.”

Alice taps her foot impatiently as she waits. She even begins to pace before she finally loses her patience. “Robin, it’s been seven minutes, what have you come up with.”

“Calista.”

“Calista?”

“Yeah, in Greek Mythology, she was a woman who was turned into a bear, and when she died Zeus was so distraught he turned her into a constellation of stars.” Robin is smiling the entire time she’s talking. Keeping her voice low so as not to wake the now sleeping baby. Then her smile falls slightly. “At least, I think it was Zeus, I don’t remember the whole story. But anyway, Callista, means ‘the most beautiful’. Okay, I’m done talking, what do you think?”

“I think it’s wonderful.” Alice smiles.

“Really?” Robin’s smile is also full of excitement.

“Really.” Alice places her hands on her hips. “Now, give Raven Calista a hug.” Robin does as she’s told. “Good, now kiss her forehead. Then put her on the bed and back away.” Robin once again does as she’s told.

Alice walks forward, picks Raven up and gives her a hug. Then leans down and kisses her forehead. Once she’s done she looks back up at Robin. “There, now you’ve hugged in kissed me.”

“God, I love you,” Robin breathes as tears fill her eyes.

“I love you too,” Alice tells her. “Always.”

“You know, now there are two women with names that are birds and start with ‘R’ in this family.” Robin tells her a smug smile now on her face as she feels a tear fall.

“Oh no,” Alice says in half faux half real horror.

“Oh yes.” Robin’s smile grows.

“I hadn’t thought of that.” Alice is now trying not to laugh as she realizes the comedy of the situation. “What have I done? Our poor daughter!”

“Hey,” Robin exclaims. “I am offended.”

“I have done her a great disservice.” They both start laughing softly at that.

“Hey Alice,” Robin says after a moment.

“Yeah?”

“That’s three times you’ve said ‘our’ when referring to Raven,” Robin says timidly.

“Yeah, Robin. It is.” Alice’s smile is full of love and adoration for the other woman. “And you better prepare to hear it a whole lot more from now on. Because she is you know.”

“Is what?” Robin asks after Alice has stopped speaking.

“Ours.” The word fills both of their hearts with love and happiness.

“Yeah,” Robin says, hand over her heart, trying to contain her joy. “Ours.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear I didn't even notice the R bird thing until I was writing Alice talking about the sky being a raven's limit. And by then i liked the name too much to change it. So that's fun! Let me know what you think! Please review! I like knowing what y'all think, and it inspires me to write. If I know people are going to be reading more, then I'm going to be writing more. If that makes sense. So..... Please review!

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know if I should continue! If this receives a positive response I will continue. Please Review! This story will be about how Robin's heart being poisoned now and not Killian's, will change the story. There will also be a new character in the coming chapters that I absolutely adore and i hope you will too. I have a habit of writing characters like that. After the next chapter or two if I continue, (i.e. Chapter 3 or 4) I will start writing the chapters as the show did it's episodes with Hyperion Heights and the Enchanted Forest Scenes/Flashbacks. Please review and let me know what you think and whether or not you think I should continue!


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